Learn about Bloomington’s Ward 7 Primary Candidates: Mollie Ward

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – After being selected to fill the Ward Seven seat, a local hospital chaplain is running for a seat on the Bloomington City Council.  

Municipal elections are on April 6th and there’s a Bloomington primary on February 23rd.  

There are five candidates running to represent Ward Seven. Candidates include Daniel Freburg, Kelby Cumpston, June Peterson-Middlebrooks, Correta L. Jackson and incumbent Mollie Ward. 

Mollie Ward was selected to fill the alderman seat to replace Scott Black and serve the remaining months of his term last year. 

Photo Courtesy Mollie Ward for Bloomington City Council Ward 7 Facebook Page

Ward is the director of Spiritual Care and Ethics Committee co-chair for Carle BroMenn Medical Center/Carle Eureka Hospital. She has lived in Bloomington for 20 years and says she has spent much of her time working with the community.  

“I’ve gotten involved particularly in Not in Our Town, which is an organization which works hard to address issues against discrimination, fight racism fight bullying and bigotry in all of its forms. I have thrown myself into that work as a member of the steering committee.” 

Ward is also the co-founder of the McLean County Interfaith Alliance, which aims to develop a relationship between people of varying faith traditions.  

 Some of the issues Ward is focusing on during her campaign for Ward Seven include health. When addressing health, Ward is not only looking at physical health but thinking about longer-term health.  

“When addressing health, I’m also looking at broader societal issues. Gun violence is something that has been at the forefront of people’s minds for the last few years,” said Ward. 

Ward says it’s time to look at gun violence in particular as a health crisis and addressing it as one. She also says it’s time to look at economic health as well. She addressed the hardships the community continues to face during the pandemic but emphasized the need to look at issues after it. 

Before being a hospital chaplain, she was a journalist and prior to that she often moved towns due to her military family. When looking at the primary ballot, Ward says her background is what makes her stand out. 

“One of the skills that I bring the ability to connect with people from all sorts of different backgrounds and have all sorts of different opinions. I think for a long time now our nation and our community as well had a lot of yelling at each other. I think it’s time for us to talk with one another and that’s a skill that I have both professionally and personally,” said Ward.  

Ward says the importance for students and members of the community to vote. She emphasizes the importance of political engagement in our own community electing individuals who represent those values.